Rex Gramana, 3, calls to his mom after scaling the Scaffoldia installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

A gathering forms in the "Living Room" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Joshua Henry, 7, puts the final block on his masterpiece building at the "Block by Block" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Seven year-old Joshua Henry from Oakland is busy creating a tower as Lindsay Gramana from San Francisco plays with her two kids in the "Block by Block" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Ryan Castillo, from Oakland, left, and Judith Pierce, also from Oakland, play a large version of Jenga in the "It's LIT" a multigenerational playground at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Lindsay Gramana from San Francisco helps her son Rex, 3, down from the "Scaffoldia" installation as Monrovia Prinz, 7, from Oakland points to another attraction at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Antonio, left, and Stephanie, both from the South Bay, have a game of one-on-one in the "IT's LIT" multigenerational playground at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Stacy Suh from Oakland tries out the pipe organ powered by air pumps made by members of the Crucible at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Nathan Gandrud from San Francisco plays King of the Mountain on the "Scaffoldia" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

People explore the "Sum of Fun" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

People relax in the "Tumble Leaf" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Rex Gramana, 3, takes in the view from a top the "Scaffoldia" installation at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to Oakland promoting "play", the theme of the three-day interactive fair. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

A design fair promotes “play” in downtown Oakland

The non-profit Our City partnered with the City of Oakland to bring a Public Design Fair to downtown Oakland promoting "play", the theme of a three-day interactive fair. Twelve installations created by local Oakland artists and groups are spread across Frank Ogawa Plaza for community members of all ages to explore, play, and build. There is also a schedule of free talks and performances. The public is also invited to vote for their favorite installation. The Design Fair is funded by the support of 50 Fund, the legacy fund of the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, along with Bank of the West and other community sponsors. According to Jake Levitas, co-founder of Our City, these installation are test projects, light versions of ideas to test out with the public. Those that are most popular, they hope to keep longer term in public spaces through-out the City of Oakland. For more information about the fair and the project go to http://ourcity.is/oakland/# (Laura A. Oda/ Bay Area News Group)